The present invention relates to collecting geographic data for a geographic database and more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for collecting address data for a geographic database using end users"" navigation systems.
Geographic databases have various uses. Geographic databases are used in in-vehicle navigation systems, personal computers, networked computing environments, and various other kinds of platforms, as well as on the Internet. Geographic databases are used with various kinds of applications to provide various navigation-related and map-related functions including map display, route calculation, route guidance, truck fleet deployment, traffic control, traffic monitoring, electronic yellow pages, roadside assistance, emergency services, and so on.
In order to provide these kinds of functions, a geographic database includes data that represent geographic features in a region. The geographic features that are represented in a geographic database may include roads, intersections, and so on. A geographic database includes information about the represented geographic features, such as the geographic coordinates of roads in a geographic region, speed limits along the road segments, locations of stop lights, turn restrictions at intersections of roads, address ranges, street names, and so on. A geographic database may also include information about points of interest in a region. Points of interest may include restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, stadiums, police stations, and so on.
Collecting information for a geographic database is a significant task. Not only is the initial collection of data a significant undertaking, but a geographic database needs to be updated on a regular basis. For example, new streets are constructed, street names change, traffic lights are installed, and turn restrictions are added to existing roads. Also, new levels of detail may be added about geographic features that are already represented in an existing geographic database. For example, an existing geographic database for roads may be enhanced with information about lane widths, shoulder sizes, lane barriers, address ranges, sidewalks, bicycles paths, etc. Thus, there exists a need to continue to collect information for a geographic database.
One method for collecting data for a geographic database is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,234. According to one embodiment described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,234, navigation systems installed in a plurality of vehicles are used as probes to collect geographic data as the vehicles are driven in a geographic region. These navigation systems may also provide navigation-related features to the drivers and/or passengers of the vehicles in which they are installed, or alternatively, the navigation systems may serve only to collect geographic data as the vehicles in which they are installed are driven. The geographic data collected by the plurality of vehicles are gathered together, analyzed, and used to update or refine a master geographic database. Copies of the master geographic database, or database products derived from the master copy, can then be distributed back to the plurality of vehicles and used in the navigation systems installed in the plurality of vehicles.
The embodiments described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,234 can afford advantages. However, there still exists a need to provide improved methods and systems for collecting data for a geographic database.
To address these and other objectives, the present invention comprises a method and system for collecting address and location data for a geographic database. Data are collected using a plurality of end users"" navigation systems. The data indicate a location at which a trip by a vehicle in which a navigation system is located ended and a desired destination entered into the navigation system by an end user prior thereto. These data are received in a data collection facility that statistically analyzes the data and uses the data to update a geographic database.